Smyrna times., 1887-05-18
The Late Dr., ]. G. Hollands
Opinion.
A PHYSICIAN CLIMBING THE EDTToR-
IAL STAIRS.


The columns of the newspapers an
pear to be flooded with proprietary
medicine advertisements. AS we cast
our eye over them, it brings to mind AN
article that was published by the late
DR.. Holland in Scriber'S 1IOnfhIy. He
says: Nevertheless, it is IA fact that
many OF the best proprietary medicines
OF the day we're more successful than
many physicians, and most of them. it
should be remembered, were at first dis
covered or used in actual medical
practice. When, however any shrewd
person, knowing their virtue, and fore
seeing their popularity, secures and ad-
vertises them, then, in the opinion of
the bigoted, all virtue went out of
them.
Is not this absurd? This great man
appreciated the real merits of popular
remedies, and the absurdity of those
that derided them because public atten-
ton was called to the article and the
evidence of their cures. If the most
noted physician should announce that
he had made a study of any certain or
gan or disease of the body, or make his
sign larger than the code size, though
he may have practised medicine and
been leader in all medical counsels
Notwithstanding all this, if he should
presume to advertise and decline to
give his discovery to the public. he
would be pronounced quack and a
humbug, although he may have spent
his entire life and all hisavailable funds
IN pertecting his investigations. Again
we say, absured.n
II an ulcer Is found upon ones arm.
and is cured by some dear soul of n
grandmother, outside of the code, it
will be pronounced by the medical pro-
tessiOn an ulcer of little Importance
But if treated under the code, causing
sleepless nights for month, with the
scientific treatment, viz, plasters, wash
es, dosing with morphine, arsenic and
other vile substances, given to prevent
blood poisoning or deaden pain. and
yet the ulcer becomes malignant, and
amputatiOn is made necessary at last. to
save life, yet all done according to the
lsms Of the medical code, this is
much more gratifying to the medical
profession, and adds more dignity to
that distinguished order than to be
cured by the dear old grandmother's
remedy.
This appears like severe arraien-
ment, yet we believe that it expresses
the true standing of the medical profess
sion in regard to remedies discovered
outside of their special isms." One of
the most perplexing things of the dav
IS the popularity of certain remedies,
especially Warmers safe cure, which
we find for sale everywhere. The phv.
sician of the highest standing is ready
to cOncede its merits and sustain the
theories the prOprietors have made
that Is, that it benefits in most of the
ailments of the human system because
1t assists in putting the kidneysin prop
er condition, thereby aiding in throwing
off the impurities of the blood. while
others with less honesty and experience
deride, and are willing to see their pa
tient die scientifically, and according to
the code, rather than have him cured
by this great remedy. Yet we notice
that the popularity Ofthe medicine con-
tinues to grow year by year. The dis
cOverer comes boldly before the people
with its merits, and prOclaims them from
door to door in our opinion much more
honOIably than the physician who, per
chance, may secure apaticnt from some
catastrope, and is permitted to set
bone ofan arm or a finger, which he
does with great dignity, yet very soon
after takes the liberty to climb the edi-
tors back stairs as O'Clock in the
morning to have it announced in the
morning paper that DR.. SO-and-so was
in attendance" and thus secures for his
benefit a beautiful and free advertise
ment. We shall leave it to our readers
to say which is the wsest and most
honorable.